2009 Holiday Letter

Hello and Happy Holidays from your favorite teacher and doula! I just wanted to send out a note to commemorate the goings on of the last year, and to thank you for letting me take part, however small, in your journey into parenthood. This is a career path I chose because of the good it does for people, and I hope you all know how much it means that you put your trust (and many times your bodies) into my hands. Thank you for letting me part of such a pivotal experience in your life. I hope my influence improved your experiences.

This year has been an exciting one. In January, I was DONA certified, and later in the year I was officially La Leche League, and Bradley certified as well. In September, I held The BOLD Red Tent Event, which helped many women open up to conversations about birth in our culture and in their own lives, and how to make positive changes for future generations. It was a great day. In October, I began hosting the Frankfort La Leche League meetings (much thanks to the Belly Factory for providing the location), and I have a small but steady group of moms who continue to come and learn about nursing and parenting. In 2009 I had 3 newspaper articles written about me, and an article I wrote published in the ‘International Doula’ journal for doulas across the globe. I have attended (though the year may still have a surprise for me) 19 births, and taught 11 couples.

This year has seen many ups and downs, as new businesses often do, but all in all, things are better than I would have hoped. I have worked very hard, and have a website up, as well as a blog; I have an active facebook page that I use to disseminate information, as well as a twitter account. If you are feeling generous, and would like to tell the world about my services, I would be happy to post your testimony up on my website, or you could also post it on a referral site for consumers, like doulamatch.net. That would mean so much to me, and it would help me to touch more lives in the ways I have touched yours. My mission remains for pregnant couples to know the benefits of doulas, and that every woman who wants one should have one-- I would appreciate any help toward that mission you could provide. This includes telling your friends about me!

2010 holds the promise of birth classes to be taught in the offices of two different midwife groups, one hospital birth and one home, as well as at a retail location in Orland Park. I will still be teaching Baby Boot Camp and Breastfeeding for Dummies, as well. I am looking into a partnership with some of the area doulas so we can be more secure in our backup plans for our clients, and in the distant future, I hope to have a few doulas under my employ, and manage a firm of my own—that, however, won’t be for another year or two! All in all, this sounds like a busy year ahead, and I am already booked with births through March

Much love and many blessings to all in the year to come, and I hope you’re all in good health! Please email me pictures of my babies! And I may be hosting a ‘reunion’ soon, so watch your emails for details!

May Happiness Abound in 2010!